HOWELL – Testimony from and crossexamination of experts representing an applicant who is proposing to construct a cellular communications tower continued in front of the Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment on May 21.
The application filed by T-Mobile Northeast LLC is for a proposed 120-foottall monopole on property owned by Christ Church of Freehold at 71 Oak Glen Road, Howell. T-Mobile has sought use, height and impervious coverage variances, as well as preliminary and final site plan approval for the application.
Much of the May 21 meeting centered on the testimony of Lyle Petrasek, the site acquisition engineer representing T-Mobile.
Attorney Edward Liston, who represents Howell residents who live near the site, questioned Petrasek, who previously testified on behalf of the applicant about the process that resulted in the selection of the Oak Glen Road property as the location for the cell tower.
Under cross-examination, Petrasek told Liston he was directed to contact consultant Declan O’Scanlon, who referred Petrasek to two municipal properties – a cellular communications monopole on Route 9 and a water tower near the Howell municipal building where communications equipment is located.
Petrasek told Liston both sites were already being used by T-Mobile.
Liston asked Petrasek if O’Scanlon has knowledge in wireless communications or is qualified to serve as a consultant on behalf of the township.
“I assume he has been around the industry and I assume he is,” Petrasek replied, but could not offer any specific qualifications.
After determining that no other municipal sites were available, Petrasek testified that he began to contact property owners of suitable sites in the area where T-Mobile wants to address cellular coverage.
Ultimately, Petrasek told Liston, the owner of property at 14 Maxim Road expressed interest in leasing land to T-Mobile, but he said radio frequency personnel who were working on behalf of the applicant preferred the Oak Glen Road site.
Liston pressed Petrasek for additional details, including a list of the sites he examined. Liston grew frustrated when Petrasek said he did not have the information available and was not certain he could produce it.
“Isn’t that part of what you did? Don’t you keep records of the sites you look at?” Liston asked. “This is a site selection expert, and I use the term loosely, and he tells us he looked at many sites, but he can’t tell us which sites he really looked at.”
Attorney Michael Beck, who represents T-Mobile, objected and said Liston was mischaracterizing Petrasek’s testimony.
Liston suggested that in order for the zoning board members to grant a use variance, they need to know if the applicant did its due diligence in selecting the best possible site for the proposed cell tower.
The board’s attorney, Ronald Troppoli, told the board members they have the right to assess the credibility of the witness and he said Liston raised issues the board could explore as the application process continues.
Liston declined to cross-examine two other experts on hand for the applicant.
Joseph Menio, who previously testified regarding cellular coverage as an expert in the field of radio frequency, provided the board with a list of streets used in a scan test, which was performed by ATech to determine coverage reliability in the area.
The streets included Oak Glen Road, Maxim Road, Maxim Southard Road, Interstate 195, Aldrich Road and several others.
The board had requested the data at a previous meeting.
Gary Musciano, an architect representing T-Mobile who previously testified before the board, responded to residents’ concerns about the slope of the site and the impact the cell tower could have on water flow from the property.
Musciano told the residents that because there will not be any grading of the land as part of the installation of a cell tower, there would not be an impact on water runoff.
“I can’t see how (the installation of the cell tower) would make any difference” on the property, he said. “Whatever the drainage patterns there are now, I don’t think they will be changing.”
The experts were excused from future meetings after answering questions from the board members and from members of the public who are not represented by Liston.
The T-Mobile public hearing will continue at a special meeting of the zoning board that has been tentatively scheduled for June 18.